The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-14
Why He Could Not Be a Student.

Why He Could Not Be a Student.
Springfield Republican.
There are many estimates of Mr.. Beecher
most Of them discriminating and most recog
nzing his great qualities. It is only rarely that
we meet a Characterization which arouses feel
ing of protest. The New York Sun contains
such sketch, apparently by Mr.. Dana, which
enlarges upon Mr.. Bescher's oratoric power, but
depreciates all the rest Of the man, says he was
mot thinker" mot a student, mot orthodox"
''unorthodox" only from ''fppancy." strong in
the emotions, especially before an audience, but
sincere only at the start of his career; finally.
"the Puritan decayed."
The assumption that Mr.. Beecher was not
thinker leaves unexplained his wonderful hold
upon the popular audience in this country for
forty years. His congregation was large, but his
sermons, his Star papers and the other products
of his pen came under the reading of millions
who never, or rarely, fell under the charm of his
presence. At the highest point of his career his
printed sermons were probably read by moro
people from week to week than the readers of all
other contemporary sermons put together. They
were read because they were pre-eminentlv full
of thought-as full of original observation. anal
| ysis. depletion of character and motive-as an
| egg is of meat
Mr.. Beecher was snot student" of books and
| cyclopedias; he was the far greater product of
| nature. like Lincoln. Who is the true student
| the editor of compilations and cyclopedias, or
| the man whose own brain and tireless thought
| have produced thousands of pages which the
| public have eagerly read, and that not works of
| fiction but upon the morals, and burdens, and
| enjoyments of every day lifel
| But on this point comes little autobiograph-
| ical confession by Mr.. Beecher himself. when he
| was presented with an address of welcome, last
| September. by the Congregational ministers of
| London In the midst Of reply. which was
| wonderful to come from man mot thinker, ="
| Mr.. Beecher said
1t would have been for great delight to be a
scholar; should have relished exceedingly to have
perfected my thought in the study and to have given
it qualities that 1t should stand classics stand
But when the work was pressed on me, and my rela-
tious to my country and to mankind became
urgent remember if it were but yesterday, when
aa hs aar ssnd aad DO
Master and for by style of thinking and work
! ing am willing to leave writing behind my back.
am willing not to statues of beauty, hut simply
to do the things that would please God in the saliva
ton of men," have had every experience, almost.
been well. 1 haye been liked, and have not been
liked have been in the wilderness among the poor
and the emgrant have drifted into the cities where
| the great and refined have known what pow
| erty was, and / have known what it was to have
almost enough. But these things have all been Incl
dental.
Mr.. Beecher, in short, could not be student
| because he had greater things to do. Study is
not an end, but means. A student is a man
| preparing to do something. Some men study
and apply study to work, and go on carrying
study and work together, so long as life lasts.
| That can be done in science; Agassiz, Tyndall
| and Herschel could do it. 1t can be done in pro
| fessorships and some arts. But in the heroic
strifes of life, which make history, where men
| are plunged into tremendous crises, study IS al
an end and man goes in upon the resources
which ne has gathered and upon those of his
own mind. Washington was not student; Ma
poleon and Wellington were only students OF
their own campaigns alone; Lincoln ana Grant
consulted no volume but the sleepless brain II
the night watches. Beecher, like these men, had
reached the point where he had light enough te
see the line of duty in great work, and wher
to study would have been to pater.
Mr.. Beecher and Edward A. Hannegan.
Guilford Conn Letter in New York Herald.
Between the years 1910 and 1916 the writer
was a student at Wabash College, Crawfords
Vile. Ind Henry Ward Beecher was, for
knaw not how many years, trustee OF tina
institution. He frequently attended its annua
commencements, and was even then a marked
figure.
The commencement of the collega yea
brought the Presbyterian ministry in larg
force to Charlottesville, and among Their wa
Mr. Beecher The writer attended evening
marty where the two most noted guests wer
Mr. Beecher and United States Senator E. A
Hanueean, Of Covington, Ind.-the one Amer
,can the other Irish. The latter was noted TO
intellectual and oratorical brilliancy.. That tn
two should drift together in the early evening
, was but natural Pious as the preacher was
and humble follower, he did not willingly ALLOW
anvona in a social gathering to put him in
state OF eclipse Never did two contestants in
ring. each the darling of his particular friend
and hackers ever watch each . other more closet
The former was in his happiest vein OF rollick
! ING humor. THETA was allsentiment. Thetw